Alumni Bookshelf

September 2, 2012
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It’s no secret that Columbian College faculty are prolific scholars, writing, on average, 50 books per year, but the college also boasts a number of alumni authors. Among those penning books this year are graduates of history, philosophy, geology, and political science. From a personal memoir to historical essays and a cookbook, these works reflect the wide variety of interests and expertise of our graduates.

Bill Baroni, BA '94 (History), wrote Fat Kid Got Fit (And So Can You!) with Damon DiMarco. The book documents Baroni's journey to fitness and suggests lifestyle changes for others trying to manage their weight.

Stephanie Batiste, MPhil ’99, PhD ’03 (American Studies), authored Darkening Mirrors: Imperial Representation in Depression-Era African American Performance. Batiste examines how African Americans became immersed, through the arts, in American culture during the Depression era.

Charles Freericks, BA '83 (Political Science), wrote My Imaginary Friend Was Too Cool to Hang Out With Me, a memoir about growing up in New Jersey and coming of age in Washington, D.C., as a GW student.

Veera Hiranandani, BA '93 (Radio and Television), penned The Whole Story of Half A Girl, a young adult novel about cultural identity and the impact of having a parent suddenly unemployed.

Carl Lounsbury, MA ’77, PhD ’83 (American Civilization), authored Essays in Early American Architectural History: A View from the Chesapeake, a collection of essays and cases studies that explore how domestic, religious, and public architecture shed light on the inner workings of early American society.

Kathleen McFall, BS '84 (Geology), published her second novel, Blood and Whiskey, co-written with husband Clark Hays. The book is the second in the Cowboy and Vampire thriller series.

Denise D. Meringolo, BA’90 , PhD ’05 (American Civilization), penned Museums, Monuments and National Parks: Toward a New Genealogy of Public History, which studies how National Parks, monuments, and museums continue to define the field as public historians establish a growing presence in major universities throughout the United States and abroad.

Rabbi A. James Rudin, AA '53, BA '55 (History), wrote Cushing, Spellman, O'Connor: The Surprising Story of How Three American Cardinals Transformed Catholic-Jewish Relations (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2012), a history for general readership.

Katie Workman, BA '90 (English Literature), authored The Mom 100 Cookbook (Workman Publishing Company, 2012), which offers 100 accessible, artfully crafted recipes organized in the form of the 20 most common "kitchen dilemmas."